Manually powered wheelchairs come in a variety of sizes for a variety of purposes. Two of the most common types of manually powered wheelchairs are the standard folding wheelchair and the non-folding, rigid frame wheelchair. Many individuals with a spinal cord injury from the five cervical vertebrate down to the lumbar vertebrates use a lightweight, rigid frame, manually powered wheelchair for everyday use. The wheelchair is typically powered by the wheelchair user gripping the rims of the rear push wheels and pushing clockwise or counterclockwise for a specified direction and speed. However, there are many situations where using a manually powered wheelchair can be difficult or even unrealistic, such as during lengthy outings, when propelling long distances, when traversing uneven or sloped terrain, and/or when the wheelchair user's deficits are of such a degree that manual propulsion becomes painful, exhausting, or relatively impossible given time or circumstances.
Although electrically powered wheelchairs exist and can be used for those situations, they are generally not prescribed unless the user lacks the ability to use a manually powered wheelchair. Insurance carriers, for example, generally will not pay for a user to have both types of wheelchairs. Moreover, electrically powered wheelchairs tend to be expensive, heavy, and cumbersome.
While power attachments for manually powered wheelchairs exist, they often are not easy to attach and detach from the conventional, manually powered wheelchair. Additionally, many power attachments require modification of the manually powered wheelchair and/or have to be pre-sized to fit a particular manually powered wheelchair's dimensions, such as its height, width, and frame layout, which can vary greatly from one wheelchair manufacturer, or model, or version to the next. Having to add attachment accessories to the manually powered wheelchair and/or having to pre-size the power attachment typically requires tools, time, and/or intervention on the part of the wheelchair user or others that severely limits the convenience of using the power attachment. Moreover, for a child that is confined to a wheelchair, having to replace a pre-sized power attachment each time that the child requires the use of a larger wheelchair as he or she grows can be extremely inconvenient and expensive for the child's parents and/or guardians.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved power attachment for a manually powered wheelchair.